Education

Currently there are more than 800 universities, institutions of higher education in Ukraine offering graduate and post-graduate degrees. In addition, many professional schools and colleges offer plenty of opportunities for those wishing to get undergraduate degree in Ukraine. The structure of educational system include the two main educational levels that most of the students go through: school education and vocational or University-level education. Further post-graduate or doctoral level education available in many universities is open for those who wish to pursue a scholarly or academic career.

Education tradition in Ukraine draws its roots from Kyivan Rus time. Kyiv Orthodox theological academy was established by Kyivan ruler Prince Yaroslav the Wise, the son of Volodymyr the Great. The short-lived academy, which ceased to exist after the dissolution of the Kyivan Rus and the lands further divide among the neighboring powers of Poland and Lithuania, was revived several centuries after in 1632 by metropolitan Petro Mogyla and named the Kyiv Collegium. The Collegium unlike its western European counterparts of that age aimed on preparation of the future theologists. In 1658 the collegium was given status of Academy (Kyiv-Mohyla Academy), however it never grew into the university and in 1817 was closed. Currently existing in Ukraine National University “Kyiv Mohyla Academy” was established in 1991 and named after the historic academy.

In 1576, prince Vasyl-Kostyantyn Ostrozky founded the first in East Europe higher educational establishment a Greek-Slavic-Latin academy known as Ostrog Academy. Apart from theological disciplines the students were taught geometry, astronomy, philosophy and rhetoric. However the academy ceased to exist in 1636, some ten years after the establishment of the competitor Jesuit Collegium in Ostrog. The Ostrog Academy in its contemporary form was reestablished in 1994.

The oldest among the Universities that can boast uninterrupted existence is Lviv University, which was established in 1661. Kyiv University was established in 1834. The 19th century development if industry, science and technology contributed into the establishment of technical universities in Ukraine. In 1844 the oldest in Ukraine technical school was established – Lviv’s Technical Academy, which in 1939 became Lviv Polytechnic Institute. In 1898 the biggest technical university in Ukraine and one of the biggest in the world Kyiv Polytechnic Institute – opened its doors to its first students.